Rising concerns over iodine deficiency in children

A century ago, iodine deficiency affected many kids. It disappeared after some food makers started adding it to table salt, bread and other foods. But today, people are getting less iodine because of changes in diet and food manufacturing.

Battling iodine deficiency

We need certain amounts of iodine to stay healthy. It is important for helping a child’s brain grow. Iodine is found in some foods, but not everyone eats enough (see graphic).

One sign of not having enough iodine is a swelling of the neck, known as a goitre. In the early 1900s, goitre was common in children in certain parts of the United States. Some of them were unusually short, deaf and had limited intellectual development.

Public health experts realised they could solve this problem by spraying iodine on table salt. Iodised salt first became available in 1924.

By the 1950s, more than 70 per cent of US households used iodised table salt. Bread and other foods were fortified with iodine, and deficiency became rare.

Diet changes

Now, processed foods make up a large part of the American diet. Though they contain a lot of salt, they are not iodised.

Experts say most Americans are still getting enough iodine through their diet. But doctors worry that is not the case for children, who are most vulnerable to iodine deficiency.

Researchers have increasingly been reporting low levels of iodine in pregnant women, raising concerns about its impact on their newborns. There is also a very small but growing number of reports of iodine deficiency in kids.

Questions

• Why is iodine important for children?

• Why are people eating less iodine than in the past?